Black Sea anchovies arrive in autumn, fried in cornmeal or baked in rice. Order them wherever fish is fresh.
Chestnuts & salep
Roasted chestnuts from street carts and hot salep with cinnamon are the city’s cold-weather comforts.
Boza & quince
Fermented boza returns to café menus, and ayva tatlısı, poached quince with kaymak, appears on dessert trays.
Muslim traveller note: food is generally halal, but alcohol is served in meyhanes and many restaurants. Choose a lokanta or an içkisiz place if that matters to you.